Lemon Bars

Indulge in these delightful Lemon Bars – a perfect balance of zesty lemon and buttery shortbread crust, creating a refreshing and irresistible treat that's sure to brighten up any occasion or satisfy your sweet cravings.

Course baked goods, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 55

Servings squares

Calories 262kcal

Author Kylee Ayotte

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup white sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter melted

For the Filling:

¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 cups white sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
6 large eggs room temperature
2 tablespoons lemon zest see notes
1 cup lemon juice see notes
¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Get Prepped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper, set aside.

Make the base

Whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup white sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt together in a large bowl. Add the melted 1 cup unsalted butter and stir to combine.
Dump the dough into the prepared baking pan and press into an even layer over the entire bottom of the pan.
Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until it just starts to brown.

Make the filling

While the crust is baking, whisk together the ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 2 cups white sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons lemon zest in a large bowl. Whisk in the 6 large eggs one at a time, then pour in the 1 cup lemon juice. Whisk to combine until smooth and thick.

Bake

Pour over the baked crust, and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the filling is set and barely jiggles when pan is shaken.
Cool and dust with ¼ cup powdered sugar.
Let bars cool completely in the pan.
Lift the bar out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Dust bars with powdered sugar. Cut into bars and serve.

Notes

5-6 lemons freshly squeezed should produce a cup of juice and about 2 heaping tablespoons of zest
You can substitute with concentrated lemon juice, but the flavor won’t be as good, especially if you leave out the zest. The zest is where all the best lemon flavor is found!
Cream of tartar creates a brighter tangy-sour flavor, if you prefer more of a tangy-sweet flavor to your lemon bars then you can simply omit without changing the texture of the lemon layer.
Do not rush or skip the chill time, the bars finish setting up while cooling.

Nutrition